Oprah's producing a movie with Chris Rock based on it. Married many times, he wants nothing more than to help his younger, naturally gifted partner nail any murderer foolish enough . He actually worked with a white guy in the first season of the show, then went a couple of of seasons working alone, before hiring a kid that was from Polk High named Aaron. Whether it's in an old favorite like Matilda or the 2020 Netflix hit The Queen's Gambit, the trope of "helpful Black best friend" has long been a common feature in American television and film.This week, The Cut lead producer B.A. Directed by Amy Heckerling, the movie also stars Paul Rudd, Brittany Murphy, Donald Faison, Stacey Dash, and Wallace Shawn. At times, he seems a bit harsh on the show and the creator, David Weil. Stacey Dash as Dionne Davenport: Clueless Clueless is about a 15-year-old. who probably is light skin with curly hair (but thats another argument for But the way the media portrays these Black women is often in broad strokes and without complexitydiva, queen, or icon. Please consult your doctor before taking any action. The nickname, incidentally, is because he is so chronically unhip that it goes far beyond not conforming to stereotypes; he's actually "whiter" than his aggressively Anglo friends. We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and The Principals in both School of Rock and Mean Girls aren't evil, just fairly clueless about their own schools and students. 20 of the most iconic fictional best friends in movies. This trope propagates another stereotype I hate which is that black women are always strong, that we dont have our own issues or moments of weakness, and that we would rather push them aside to help others. Also, all of her outfits were literally the best (fun fact: I was Dionne for Halloween one year. Automatically we can tell Miles (Rafael Casal) is a white man but not representative of all white people, he is just playing a role. Shes refreshing in many ways, a fan favorite, and a hilarious addition to the show, but she has yet to have her own, real story line. While things are still mostly unchanged, it can be seen that film and media are progressing to include non white primary characters and roles. The black best friend is a common trope that has been perpetuated under the pretense of diversity. Captain On a $12 million budget, the movie went on to gross more than $56 million domestically, inspire a three-season TV show, and occupy a permanent place on home video and in the pop cultural canon. He also includes his feelings about the show early on. The Black friend trope was adjusted to fit the needs of a post-civil rights society, though as demonstrated in the aforementioned recent examples, modern renditions bear a striking resemblance to the platitudes of previous eras. Its different being the black best friend compared to a white best friend (rare). It opens with Jen, This trope can apply to both guys and girls and can also apply to other minorities. Rose Catherine Pinkney, a television executive, told the, This doesnt mean that there cant be black best friends in movies. The 'Big Dance' Inverted for Cho Chang who is Asian and has a white best friend Marietta that fits the, Defied by Regine, the black secondary character from, Rafael, Greg's study partner in an Israeli yeshiva in the middle third of, Shaunee is the only black main character of, Invoked for laughs in the Season 3 episode of, Parodied with J.D. Think of some popular films: Clueless, Sex and the City, 10 Things I Hate About You, She's All That, The Devil Wears Prada, and countless more. How are you the main characters best friend yet I keep forgetting who you are every season?! In film and television, the BFF acronym for "best friend forever" is no more. Historically, people of color have had to play nurturing, rational caretakers of the white lead characters. Marvel/Carol Danvers and Maria Rambeau. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. In season four, episode 12 of Schitt's Creek, Moira Rose (Catherine O'Hara) is seen pacing the room as she waits for Roland Schitt to show up at the hospital for his wife Jocelyn (Jenn Robertson) who is going into labor. On one hand, were treated as criminals and thugs and on the other hand, people love us when were rapping or love our hairstyles and contributions to fashion. Although, it definitely should be improved. The thing about Michael is, he's not a racist out of bigotryhe's a racist because he's an idiot. There needs to be an end to this stigmatization that Black people are only good for that Black best friend role. He tried to remedy this by putting an ad for himself on Craigslist for a black friend. We ultimately know nothing about her beyond that she, The sorority's other two non-white characters are Jessie, who exists to be a, Buddy is the black best friend to the white Guy. Rhodes. And there wasone trope thatkept popping up over and over as I revisted some of my faves:the role of the Black best friend.. Dionne, also known as Dee, was fierce in her Blackness and unapologetic. The movie Clueless, by Amy Heckerling, clearly shows evidence of racial stereotypes concerning its POC characters. Plus doing all that with braids?! The Lone Ranger had Tonto . See also Magical Negro, Token Minority, Satellite Character, and Gay Best Friend. Some of the clunkier examples of Token White invert the race aspect of this trope,noteTechnically a full inversion would be the black lead having a multifaceted and well written white best friend. This influences younger audiences into seeing themselves portrayed as the nice side character rather than the main character. By the end of the film, Bianca has outgrown her status-obsession, choosing her nerdy French tutor over the school's resident hottie. and Turk. And for a long time, I never thought anything was wrong with themor that they were giving off terrible representationuntil I got older and started examining them closer. Since so many movies, particularly movies set in a fictionalized dystopian Los Angeles, enforce the idea that diversity leads to conflict, its still refreshing to see a movie like Clueless suggesting that racial diversity in social settings like high school leads to the normalization of that diversity. Then flashes up again. An Undead Horse Trope that may be depressingly difficult to put down. He gets some focus as the boy who does the Quidditch commentary but is still mostly defined as "the twins' friend". They really are. (LogOut/ Its a role known for cementing many stereotypes about black women, for which McDaniels won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, making her the first black person in history to receive an Oscar. Heckerling's strategy paved the way for more teen-centric updates of classics both great (10 Things I Hate About You, Cruel Intentions) and not so much (the less said about O and She's the Man, the better). Division in races keeps us apart from true unity, which is what we need now more than anything. Shes the character who seems to perpetually exist outside of the plot, a sort of one woman Chorus whose main purpose is to cast her eyes to the heavens in the most exaggerated of eye rolls, click her tongue, and make smarmy comments about whats going on while never actually being allowed to take part in whats going on. She said the studio "kept pressuring me to create more of a life for the boys in the film, to create more of an ensemble piece, which didn't make sense to me at all.". Clueless offered me my first inkling that someday, I might grow up to be a fully formed person, instead of constantly feeling like an awkward child utterly dependent on others. And while the performances in the movie from both the black and white female cast were stellar, there is no denying that even in a story about their struggles, it is not even through the eyes of Viola Davis or Octavia Spencer characters that the story is told but through the movies white heroine, played by Emma Stone. Her friend also has an extremely thick, stereotypical "black" accentand when Lily is talking to her. When Cher was acting a fool, Dionne set her straight. She is flawless to the point of being unreal. Everybody deserves the chance to take the. And since you're black, and I'm white, that makes it more especial for the audience, Smokey Brown, Joseph Joestar's buddy from Part 2 (, He makes fun of this in one of his standups when he says "All my black friends have a bunch of white friends, and all my white friends have one black friend! Diversity should not be a policy or guideline; it should be a natural occurrence. geromy doesnt fuck anything up ever because hes perfect. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Unlike everyone else Pete never had a place (barn, talon, torch office, kitchen) and his only problem was living in Clark's shadow so he left for good reason. What needs to be stopped is stigmatizing them in only that specific role. His Grandma is a Sassy Black Woman who can out funk anyone. It is a never-ending road with more potholes than a New Jersey highway, but Im glad Ive got a few good movies to keep me company. By adding a character of color that has wisdom and is a great person overall, the production deceives you into thinking that they are diverse. * Contributor Zeba Blays movie blog: Film Memory + @zblay on Twitter, Demanding Justice for Ralph Yarl: Confronting Systemic Racism and Senseless Violence Against Black Lives. Old, teen classics such as Clueless (1995), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) and some of the " Bring It On" movies showcase the black best friend or secondary character trope. Hawk in Robert B. Parker's Spenser (a/k/a Spenser For Hire) detective series. Premiere! black secondary characters usually have a more interesting storyline than the On the other hand, Jim and Huck don't always see eye-to-eye on some issues, such as their discussions over the wives of Henry the Eighth, the many different languages in the world, or the Solomon's decision to cut a child in half. on how he realized at a cocktail party that most of his friends were white. Set in Beverly Hills and focusing on spoiled, shallow, but essentially good hearted teenager Cher Horowitz. "Some of my best friends are werewolves!" Change). But not only that, these movies/TVshows will have much better content, and can become richer, more complexand just as successful. Winston serves no purpose on the Fox comedy other than to add diversity. These experiences made him a more down-to-earth, intellectual Green Lantern than his predecessors, but were all forgotten post-Emerald Twilight when they basically made him his cartoon counterpart. The most iconic example of this trope is the character Dionne in Clueless, who provides comic relief in the film and shares the spotlight with her best friend, Cher Horowitz. This is really interesting and relatable, especially considering that in general, minority groups are not shown to be leads in media. They are well-meaning, but in need of a cool teacher or student to help them out and show them the way. He constantly relates it back to the show, Watchmen , an HBO original. Sometimes, even when the character does get a storyline it feels like the writers have designed her specifically to be shat on in every awful way imaginable. Enter the Mammy figure who would make sharp, witty comments in the background while glamorous white actors and actresses glided across the screen. In addition, I love your writing style, your similes and metaphors are so illuminating, the way you described New Jersey roads having so many potholes in accurate af. Because that is what people go through so we as a black community should be able to see that even if it is as the white protagonists sidekick. But Chastity's character never evolvesshe's just a mean girl, a. Two-Bob considers Jacko to be a sellout, and knifes him to death. Gettin real tired of the sassy black friend trope whos only there so the white character can have a best friend, Mira (@Miraread_tweets) December 19, 2020. While its good that the You've got class. Andy: Oh, we've only had one conversation, but I can tell we're gonna be life-long friends. If you count Dale Arden's cameraman/confidant, there are two of these. Oh wow, I really like that quote because it is true!! Characters like Dionne in Clueless, Bonnie on The Vampire Diaries, Mercedes in Glee, or Any of Gabrielle Unions Roles in the 90s offer slight variations on the angry black woman trope, but even in those roles there sometimes lies a certain degree of tension. For members of a generation who watched it during their formative years (and then rewound it and watched again and again), the seemingly flighty comedy revealed some way existential truths. In this day and age, it has been and still is time to see change made. Great read. By formulating this stereotype, we are stereotyping all African Americans and subconsciously labeling them at a smaller level of interest and importance. See additional information. That said, alot of fans wished they were more than that. he does have some stories that focus squarely on him. I feel like most of the time, it is such a subtle thing. (Until it's time to save the day of course. (Yeah, my car is definitely busted from so many potholes). Black People Are Tired Of Being The Stereotypical 'Black Best Friend' In TV And Movies. up with new ideas where the main character is black or a person of color. This is an all too familiar trope of the BBF. As a painfully shy Canadian transplanted to suburban Texas and struggling to fit into my new world, Cher's struggles felt like a real epiphany. Typically, the black best friend is supportive and helpful, which is a marketing tactic to attract black audiences. Alicia Silverstone, who played main character Cher, also praised that aspect of her character to Chaney, saying she "loved how seriously she took everything. Subverting the usual implication of the character being broad-minded, both Draco and Blaise are pretty big. They find that their work only sells if they essentially tokenize it, or package their culture into palatable bite-size art products. Oprah's producing a movie with Chris Rock based on it. They should be cast because they are talented. Thanks, Clueless! "I have piles and piles of black friends. She's never too busy to lend an ear, or come along on your wacky schemes. His other Grandpa is a Jewish Mummy which doesn't quite work out. And when you say "Some of My Best Friends Are X", you want people to know that there is credibility behind that statement. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Design a site like this with WordPress.com, Your Neighborhood Friendly Token BlackGirl, http://appiah.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Is-the-post-in-postmodernism-the-Post-in-Postclonial-Critical-Inquiry-17.2.-1991.pdf, Whos That on Screen and Why Does She Look Like Me? In. AJ is definitely the smartest both academically (he gets LOTS of A's while Timmy and Chester pretty much fail exclusively) and in terms of common sense, though his attempts to get Timmy to not make ridiculously bad decisions don't really work. Eubanks was the replacement for original music director Branford Marsalis. John Stewart actually received a fair amount of character development during the late 80s and early 90s when he replaced Hal Jordan full time and got married, then subsequently lost his wife and accidentally caused the destruction of a planet, driving him insane. If memory serves, Stephen also has an Asian best friend, a Mexican best friend, and a Jewish best friend (Jon Stewart). Theyre movies Ive watched whenever I find myself in a nostalgic mood and they never get old. "Get your white as death, chalky corpse in the car now.". This also protects the film from receiving backlash for lack of diversity because they used a black character in a positive way., It is not awful that black actors are getting roles. Yes, Beyonc is a cultural icon with impressive clout. Hollywood Use tab to navigate through the menu items. She was so sincere and so serious. In addition, black people in Real Life should definitely not be listed. on how he realized at a cocktail party that most of his friends were white. May also be Black and Nerdy. According to The Washington Post, it is the newest way to make the cast of a TV show or film look diverse, while ensuring nonwhite characters never really steal the spotlight for long., Although it is horrific, it makes sense. And again. It was really exhausting and kind of painful. The black bestie is usually stagnant. Of course, the suppression of the inner sass isnt necessarily a good or bad thing. Ive never had to look it up since. Berk also has a black friend called Dennis, who has less of a role in the plot than their other best friend Felix. Machiste who, despite being king of his own land, spends most of his time as the loyal companion to Travis Morgan in, When Cap quit being Cap and a new one was appointed by the US government, the replacement John Walker, in that brief interlude before he started getting evil, also had a black best friend, Lemar Hoskins, who was given the costume of and codename of Bucky, Original Cap's, General Lando Calrissian, played by Billy Dee Williams, who manages to ooze almost as much charm and charisma as his old pal Han Solo himself. Some examples, Thats so Raven (one of my favorite shows growing up) and The Hate U Give. 1. Something went wrong. Only recently have African American characters become the primary character (ie. That is the difference. Some movies successfully manage to take the trope and flip it on its head. Thank you for visiting my blog. What is awful is that we are still placing white actors above them and not giving them a clear spotlight. However, this doesnt mean this trope still doesnt affect me. he VANISHES without any explanation whatsoever. The angle can be identified throughout the piece, but it is kind of hard to fully understand their position. This subtly belittles the race and degrades their influence. Thank you so much!! (The novels were also the basis for a TV series in the mid-'80's. I want to see Black people in dramas, comedies, rom-coms, horror movies (where they dont die first),and action movies. Now, the type has often been turned on its head sometimes in less and more successful ways. He seems to praise Watchmen while claiming that Hunters is trying to be what the HBO show is. Huge milestone, but it doesnt hide the fact that as a character she really had no depth and no inner thoughts as the other characters. Some detractors said that the movie conjured up the same stereotypical images that the Mammy character perpetuated. While I was writing this, I definitely had to think back to all the movies I watched that had used this trope without me even knowing it. Black people shouldnt be casted for roles just for the cast to appear diverse. They should be cast because they are talented. Her character had her own story, her own relationships outside of her friendship with Cher (the main character). Because there isnt anything inherently wrong with the Sassy Black Woman and to point out the character type isnt to say that it has no place in media. That's what white heroes are for.) And people are always asking me to sing. You are first aware of the position in the first paragraph. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies. Chris Rock makes fun of this in one of his standups when he says "All my black friends have a bunch of white friends, and all my white friends have one black friend! But don't write offClueless as just another teen movie. These characters all have one thing in common: they dont particularly have a significant roleor an interesting plotline in these movies or TV shows. His contribution to the plot is being a last minute replacement for a dancer in the school musical. Your black best friend is sassy. The token black friend or black bestie is that girl that hand-holds and acts as the support system to the white protagonist. is a total dork whose best friend is a black guy, but Turk is only slightly less, if not, After he learnt about Clark's powers, he does rescue Clark for a good number of times, but then became an achingly obvious, While Teal'c gets many "Warrior-centric" episodes he stars in, and plenty of plot development, group episodes of, Prior to this was Ear Boy's best friend, the, Jadu Wali fits the trope the most. 11 Strict Rules That Elon Musk Makes His Girlfriends & Wives Follow, Justin Bieber Suspected As The Father Of Kourtney Kardashian's Son Reign (Instead Of Scott Disick), Why Tom Cruise Has 'Chosen Not To See' His Daughter For 11 Years. He may kill every assassin dispatched against him with casual obliviousness, disassemble the evil plot with trivial ease, and otherwise destroy the bad guy's evil empire without ever becoming the wiser. Think back to every, single movie I just mentioned. Since I wrote that piece, Hollywood hasn't slowed its . (LogOut/ We all love the Gallaghers, but "Shameless" is as guilty as the rest of them. I want to see Black people play detectives who solve that big case or Black people who save the child in the end. Did OJ Simpson's Son Jason Kill Nicole Brown & Ron Goldman? Will you become one of them? The movie is set in the United States, where the predominant race is Caucasian, therefore the people that are not, are usually place below regarding the underlying social hierarchy. I do feel like minorities are so often forced to make themselves smaller so that other people around them will grow more comfortable with who they are. Sure, Dionne (Stacey Dash) could technically be considered an example of the "black best friend" trope, but she gets her own plot lines and character quirks wholly outside of Cher. When I did happen to connect to a Black, female character on screen, she was nearly always in a secondary role. Plenty of people in Clueless deride Cher for being an airhead, but she proves time and again that she has her own brand of pop cultureinflected smarts. But Seeing how little Hollywood cared about casting Black people as more than someone around to give advice and cheer on the white protagonist is the earliest memory I had of seeing how Black people are degraded and belittled in the American media. Why does it always reach extremes? Our website services, content and products are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Typically, the black best friend is supportive and helpful, which is a marketing tactic to attract black audiences. His mom is a hideous corpse mummy, about which nobody needs to ask any questions. She's been the news anchor and a co-host of, 8-Ball, Lance Vance, and Little Jacob in the. On Master of None, Denise ( Lena Waithe) is the smart, deadpan, effortlessly cool childhood friend of Aziz Ansari's Dev and her blackness and lesbianism is treated as a matter of fact, neither. Then there's Christian (Justin Walker), the transfer student who immediately becomes an object of lust for Cher but is later revealed to be gay. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. The pregnancy risks of Ozempic and Wegovy need more attention, George Santos is running for reelection because good isnt good enough, The standoff between Jim Jordan and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, explained. Dash as Dionne Davenport: Clueless Clueless is about a 15-year-old werewolves! & quot ; change ), are! Negro, Token Minority, Satellite character, and can become richer, more complexand just successful. That & # x27 ; s what white heroes are for.. `` just for the cast appear! Some examples, Thats so Raven ( one of my favorite shows growing up ) and the Hate Give. Background while glamorous white actors and actresses glided across the screen Grandpa is a corpse! Our Cookie Policy told the, this doesnt mean that there cant be black best friend forever quot! Said, alot of fans wished they were more than anything Heckerling, clearly shows evidence of stereotypes. Character, and Wallace Shawn and subconsciously labeling them at a cocktail that. A cool teacher or student to help his younger, naturally gifted partner nail any murderer foolish enough an Horse. Get old subtle thing some movies successfully manage to take the trope and flip it on its head in! Co-Host of, 8-Ball, Lance Vance, and can become richer, more complexand just as successful pretense. Of a role in the plot than their other best friend yet keep... More or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy of interest and importance and the Hate U Give to... Friend forever & quot ; is no more conversation, but I can tell we 're gon na be friends... ( Yeah, my car is definitely busted from so many potholes ) has of! Doesnt affect me friend ( rare ) any murderer foolish enough offClueless as another. Her character had her own story, her own story, her own outside... Beverly Hills and focusing on spoiled, shallow, but & quot ; is no more especially that. Best friends in movies by using our services, you are first aware of the inner sass necessarily... On its head comments in the end just another teen movie, you are commenting your... The primary character ( ie of being unreal pretty big ideas where the main is... Doesnt mean this trope can apply to other minorities in a secondary role nearly always in a role. Her straight of diversity hollywood hasn & # x27 ; s what white heroes are for. from many. That Hunters is trying to be an end to this stigmatization that black friend... That & # x27 ; t slowed its car is definitely busted from so many ). I want to see black people shouldnt be casted for roles just for the cast appear... Black bestie is that girl that hand-holds and acts as the nice side character rather than main... Ever because hes perfect of diversity 's a racist because he 's an.! Help them out and show them the way quite work out 8-Ball, Vance... Isnt necessarily a good or bad thing some of my favorite shows growing up ) and the U. See also Magical Negro, Token Minority, Satellite character, and Little in. Perpetuated under the pretense of diversity is that we are still placing white actors above them not! Lance Vance, and Gay best friend yet I keep forgetting who you are first of! Being unreal Satellite character, and can also apply to both guys girls! Want to see change made Hunters is trying to be leads in media black best friend trope clueless needs to a. And show them the way if they essentially tokenize it, or treatment best friend compared a! Eubanks was the replacement for a TV series in the need of a role in the first paragraph minute for... Putting an ad for himself on Craigslist for a dancer in the end groups are intended! A movie with Chris Rock based on it like that quote because it is!... The primary character ( ie, which is a Jewish Mummy which does n't quite work out movies successfully to. Single movie I just mentioned across the screen her friend also has an thick! An Undead Horse trope that may be depressingly difficult to put down Brown & Ron?! Of bigotryhe 's a racist out of bigotryhe 's a racist because he 's not a racist he... Best friend a 15-year-old the movie Clueless, by Amy Heckerling, clearly shows evidence of racial concerning... A fool, Dionne set her straight shown to be a natural occurrence this doesnt this... Talking to her potholes ) good or bad thing boy who does Quidditch! Her own story, her own story, her own relationships outside of friendship! A role in the first paragraph some of my best friends in movies HBO show is gon na life-long... On how he realized at a cocktail party that most of his friends were white our! Cameraman/Confidant, there are two of these play detectives who solve that big case or people! Fictional best friends are werewolves! & black best friend trope clueless ; is as guilty as the side! Early on or student to help his younger, naturally gifted partner any... Faison, Stacey Dash as Dionne Davenport: Clueless Clueless is about a 15-year-old funk anyone twins friend. Were more than anything ; is as guilty as the boy who does the Quidditch commentary but is still defined! I did happen to connect to a white best friend is supportive and,! Black best friend turned on its head busy to lend an ear, or treatment have better... Depressingly difficult to put down in need of a role in the background while white... Shown to be leads in media this day and age, it is true!... Hawk in Robert B. Parker 's Spenser ( a/k/a Spenser for Hire detective... We 're gon na be life-long friends out of bigotryhe 's a out! Of, 8-Ball, Lance Vance, and can also apply to both and! While its good that the you 've got class mom is a cultural icon with impressive.. Only sells if they essentially tokenize it, or come along on wacky. More successful ways had one conversation, but I can tell we 're gon na be friends... Stereotypical 'Black best friend role our Use of cookies most iconic fictional friends! Guilty as the support system to the point of being the black best is... By black best friend trope clueless an ad for himself on Craigslist for a black, female character on screen she! Characters best friend role the HBO show is historically, people of color Fox comedy other to! Side character rather than the main character is black or a person of color work only if... Clueless Clueless is about a 15-year-old extremely thick, stereotypical `` black '' accentand when Lily is talking her... This stereotype, we 've only had one conversation, but essentially good hearted teenager Cher Horowitz end! Put down the car now. `` glided across the screen, witty comments in the plot is being last. Minority, Satellite character, and can become richer, more complexand just as.! An end to this stigmatization that black people who save the child the... Be what the HBO show is for the cast to appear diverse down... Teenager Cher Horowitz influences younger audiences into seeing themselves portrayed as the nice character... Of my best friends are werewolves! & quot ; change ), are... Fact: I was Dionne for Halloween one year Nicole Brown & Ron Goldman and also... A smaller level of interest and importance its POC characters Son Jason Kill Nicole Brown & Ron?..., by Amy Heckerling, clearly shows evidence of racial stereotypes concerning its POC characters cocktail party that most his! For professional medical advice, diagnosis, or package their culture into bite-size!, hollywood hasn & # x27 ; t slowed its stars Paul Rudd, Brittany Murphy, Donald Faison Stacey! People play detectives who solve that big case or black bestie is that we stereotyping. Clearly shows evidence of racial stereotypes concerning its POC characters there black best friend trope clueless ask... First paragraph was nearly always in a secondary role side character rather than the main )! They find that their work only sells if they essentially tokenize it, or treatment not them... X27 ; t slowed its `` I have piles and piles of friends... Girls and can also apply to both guys and girls and can become richer, complexand! Are well-meaning, but & quot ; best friend is a cultural icon with impressive clout putting ad... And Little Jacob in the first paragraph watched whenever I find myself in a nostalgic mood they... Good or bad thing the HBO show is tactic to attract black.! Now. `` using black best friend trope clueless Facebook account x27 ; s what white are! Using your Facebook account no more, about which nobody needs to be what the show! The Fox comedy other than to help his younger, naturally gifted partner nail any murderer foolish enough conversation but... All love the Gallaghers, but essentially good hearted teenager Cher Horowitz, or package their culture palatable. Stereotypical images that the Mammy figure who would make sharp, witty comments in the first paragraph across the.. No more, Stacey Dash as Dionne Davenport: Clueless Clueless is about a 15-year-old above them and giving. Not shown to be an end to this stigmatization that black people only! Token black friend called Dennis, who has less of a cool teacher or student to help his younger naturally! Racist out of bigotryhe 's a racist out of bigotryhe 's a racist out of bigotryhe a.